NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: FEBRUARY 22, 2026

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V29 2026 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 29, Number 8, 2026, Article 18

Numismagram's Jeremy Bostwick sent along these five medals from his most recent upload of new material to his site. For all of the new items, please visit https://www.numismagram.com/inventory. -Garrett

103272 | SWITZERLAND. Frauenfeld. Silver Shooting Medal. Issued 1890. Commemorating the federal shooting festival in Frauenfeld in Thurgau, from 20–30 July (45mm, 38.49 g, 12h). By Hughes Bovy in Geneva.

HEIL DIR HELVETIA, personification of Helvetia standing left, head right, holding a sword and shield; Frauenfeld Castle in the background to the left; to right, personification of Thurgau seated left, resting hand upon a garnished cantonal coat-of-arms // EIDGENÖSSISCHES SCHÜTZENFEST IN FRAUENFELD / JULI 1890, civic coat-of-arms over laurel and oak branches, and rifles crossed in saltire. Richter 1250b.

PCGS SP-62. Deeply mirrored and very vibrantly toned, with great contrast between fields and devices; seemingly a bit conservatively assessed and, as such, a premium quality piece at this near-choice designation.

The shooting festivals—in this sense, at the federal level—are considered one of the most important events in Swiss life, having played a historic role in the establishment of the Swiss state and serving as a vital connection to the nation's past. The first federal shooting festival was held in Aarau in 1824, and subsequent festivals were then held every few years, with numerous cities rotating as host. Since 1985, these festivals have been held at a fixed point every five years, the most recent having been held in July 2021 in Luzern (originally scheduled for 2020, but delayed due to the global pandemic).

103251 | GERMANY. Gordon Bennett Cup silver Award Medal. Issued 1904 for the 342-mile race near Bad Homburg vor der Höhe (33mm, 16.98 g, 12h). By Emil Döpler for L. C. Lauer in Nürnberg.

WILHELM • II • DEUTSCHER KAISER KÖNIG VON PREUSSEN •, bust of Wilhelm left; in background, rising sun over cityscape of Bad Homburg // Date above DAC monogram (Deutscher Automobilclub); Genius, holding torch, driving antique automobile right; to left, Victory standing right at back of auto. Edge: SILBER 0,990.

Wurzbach 9694. PCGS MS-63. Steely gray surfaces, with some deeper hues nearer the peripheries along with a charming matte nature throughout. Great early automotive type. Compare to a similar, though somewhat inferior example in Künker eLive 88 (21 July 2025), which realized a total of $449 after the buyer's fee.

The 1904 Gordon Bennett Cup, formally styled as the V Coupe Internationale, was an automobile race run on 17 June 1904 around the Taunus mountain range north of Frankfurt. As the 1903 race winner was from Germany, the privilege of hosting the 1904 race fell to that country, with Kaiser Wilhelm II suggesting this mountain range. The course, nearly 80 miles in length, hosted four laps, with the eventually winner—Léon Théry of France—beating a field of 17 other drivers hailing from six countries, all with an 11 minute margin of victory.

103410 | UNITED STATES & GERMANY. America's Peace Terms cast bronze Medal. Dated 1918. "Wilsons Botschaft, Die 14 Punkte"—on the occasion of President Wilson's "Fourteen Points" speech before a joint session of Congress (58mm, 78.99 g, 12h). By Karl Goetz in München.

WILSON'S BOTSCHAFT, half-length figure of Woodrow Wilson reaching over globe, pointing to tablet inscribed with fourteen points // WELTFRIEDENS PROGRAMM (world peace program), eagle with wings spread, grasping in claws a tablet inscribed with four additional points; scales behind, five orbs of fire raining from above. Edge: Plain.

Kienast 203; Klose –; Art of Devastation p. 276, fig. 71. Choice Mint State. Warm brown surfaces, with some glossiness in the fields.

On 8 January 1918, Woodrow Wilson delivered a speech to Congress in which he outlined his Fourteen Points, a post-war plan for peace in Europe. Allies widely distributed copies of the speech behind German lines to encourage Germany to surrender, with the expectation that fair terms would be reached. The terms of surrender ultimately changed, however, and called for crushing penalties that shocked Germans and inspired Goetz to create this satirical medal.

103470 | GERMANY. Avian silver Prize Medal. Engraved 1936. For Meritorious Achievements Presented by the Canary Breeders' Association in Gera (35mm, 15.77 g, 12h). By Otto Oertel in Berlin.

FÜR VERDIENSTVOLLE LEISTUNGEN, canary standing right upon nest in which rests another canary facing left // Garlanded oak wreath containing engraving in four lines: "Zum 50-jähr / Jubiläum / des K. Z. V. Gera / 1936." : + OSTERLANDISCHER KANARIENZÜCHTER–VERBAND / ZEITZ / 1929 / A.–KL. Edge: SILBER 990; loop removed from top. Choice Mint State. Highly vibrant and deeply toned an enticing iridescence.

The practice of breeding and keeping birds––known as aviculture––has been a long-standing hobby of bird enthusiasts, with the Avicultural Society of America being founded in 1927. In Europe, however, the organized practice dates back even further, with numerous local and regional clubs––especially in Germany––dedicated to the pursuit in the 19th century. Similar to kennel clubs, these groups would organize competitions in which a participant's flock could be judged against their peers, with the top finishers receiving prize medals for their bird(s). These medals were sometimes struck in different metals in order to distinguish placement, while other times the ranking may be indicated in the text. To add a further degree of personalization, some were engraved in order to convey the specific chapter which hosted the competition and/or the recipient of the prize. These medals also presented their designer with an excellent chance to showcase their avian artistry, as few aspects of numismatics display birds as the prime subject and in such detail.

103320 | HUNGARY. Prof. Dr. Kettesy Aladár bronze Medal. Issued 1973. Commemorating the 80th birthday of the ophthalmologist (86mm, 455.9 g, 12h). By Madarassy Walter.

PROF DR KETTESY ALADÁR 80 ÉVES, bare head left // Ophthalmologist, in surgical gown and mask, operating on draped patient lying supine to left; to upper left, an assistant holds a light over the field. Edge: Plain.

Galst & van Alfen I.132 (this piece illustrated and on the cover); Huszár & Varannai 356; Györffy 32. Essentially as made. Enticing brown surfaces, with deeper hues in the recesses and lighter hints upon the higher points. A very powerful type that serves as the cover medal to Galst & van Alfen's Ophthalmologia Optica & Visio in Nummis, with this particular piece being the example illustrated.

The following is the brief biography presented in Galst & van Alfen: "Kettesy's surname was originally Kreiker, which he changed to one more Hungarian and less German in order to pursue a public career. For decades he was the director of the Eye Clinic of the Medical University of Debrecen, a position he accepted after study with both Imre Josef and von Blaskovics Laszlo, with whom he wrote a major textbook on ophthalmology. His role in Hungarian ophthalmology was also enhanced by the development of his chart, still used today, for testing in refraction."